Apparatus for pointing ships&#39; guns, torpedoes, &amp;c.



No. 650,85l. Patented June 5, I900. L. M. BITTER VON MABKHOFf APPARATUS FOR PDINTING SHIPS GUNS, TOBPEDOES, 81.0.

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:(No Model.)

Patented lung 5, I900.

L. M. BITTER VON MARKHOF. APPARATUS FOR PUINTING SHIPS GUNS, TORPEDOES, 8w.

(Application filed July 9, 1898.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

" ATENT Fries,

LUDWIG MANTNER RITTER VON MARKHOF, OF VIENNA, AUSTRIA- HUNGARY.

APPARATUS FOR POIN'TING SHIPS GUNS, TORPEDOES, &C.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters .Patent No. 650,851, dated June 5, 1900.

Application filed July 9,1898- Serial No. 685,505. We model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, LUD'WIG MANTNER R11- exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference bein had to the accom ran in" drawings, and

h D J to letters and figures of reference markedj thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in the apparatus for eitecting the lateral and vertical adjustments in the pointing of ships guns, coast-guns, and torpedoes.

\(Vith the existing methods of pointing guns the gun has the requisite lateral adjustment due to the deviation of the projectile in consequence of its rotation or twist by means of the usual sighting device. If with this arrangement the ship carrying the gun moves with a certain velocity at a given angle to the sighting-line, the gunner must after having estimated the above data refer to a somewhat-complicated firing-table in order to ascertain the extent to which the gun requires to be laterally adjusted in the direction either in front or behind the enemys ship. This correction, which is, in itself, very imperfect, (because there is generally no directing-mark on the horizon, and the extent of adjustment can only be estimated with ditliculty,) is rendered much more difficult if the object aimed at, su'ch as the enemys ship, is in motion, as is the case, and, after estimating the data relatively to the speed, direction of motion, and distance of the object aimed at, the firingtable must be again referred to and the extent of adjustment be correspondingly increased or decreased. These disadvantages are avoided according to the present invention by constructing the sighting instrument of several (preferably three) slides arranged one above the other, and each independently capable of adjustment in a direction trans versely to the axis of the gun, of which slides j the uppermost,w11ich carries the crossthreads or other sighting device, can be adjusted upon the second slide for the lateral displacement due to the deviation of the projectile, while the two other slides can be adjusted relatively to each other and to the base of the sighting instrument for effecting the lateral displacement due to the data relatively to the motion of the guns ship and that of the enemys ship. Vith a sightinginstrument thus constructed it is possible under normal circumstances to always point the gun for hitting the middle of the enemys ship or other mark aimed at without requiring the use of the firing-table.

I will describe my said invention with reference t0 the accompanying drawings, in which* Figure 1 shows a front view of the improved sighting apparatus with lateral adjustment. Fig. 2 shows a longitudinal section, and Fig. 3 a cross-section, of the same. Figs. 4 and 5 show explanatory diagramsforindicating how the corrections of the lateral adjustment are dependent upon the manner in which the guns ship and the enemys ship are moving relatively to each other. Figs. 6 and 7 show the developments of two cylindrical scales of the sighting instrument.

If the guns ship is moving with a speed c, Fig. 4, while the enemys ship T is stationary and if the sighting-line forms an angle a: with the middle or athwartships position of the gu n,this must be shifted laterally through an angle 7/, which, if the range be not too small and if the effect of atmospheric resistance be neglected, can be determined accord ing to the formula )/:CX vcos. a; that is to say, it is directly proportional to the velocity of the guns ship and the cosine Velocity 'v and in a direction which forms an angle awith the sighting-line. In this case neglecting the atmospheric resistance,

1 C '0' sin. a,

and consequently the correction of the lateral adjustment is directly proportional to the velocity of the object T and the sine of the angle formed by the sighting-line with the direction of motion of T.

The sightinginstrument,which allows of a threefold correction of the lateral adjustment of the gun, consists of a base-plate a, which is attached to a support fixed to the gun-carriage or to the usual sight-support, which base-plate forms a guide for the slide ct that can be shifted transversely to the sighting-line by means of the screw-spindle b and be set to a scale on the cylinder 0. For the latter purpose the slide a is provided with an index (1. The cylinder-scale c is rotatably mounted on projecting armsff of the base-plate a. The slide a has a guidinggroove for the slide (t which can be shifted by means of the screw-spindle l) and carries the index (1, which indicates the position of the slide (62 relatively to slide a upon a ro-. tatable cylinder-scale 0, carried by slide a. The slide a has a tubular guide g, in which is carried a sight a which can be shifted by means of the screw-spindle D The sight has cross-threads g and an index d which moves along the deviation-scale c fixed to the slide (L The fore sight, which is not shown in the drawings, is fixed rigidly to the gun-carriage, such as to a bridge-piece at the front end thereof,orit may be fixed on the gun.

The deviation-scale c is an ordinary scale graduated according to distances and may be replaced by colored fields indicating different distances, which would afford a rapid observation.

The scale on the cylinder 0, which enables the lateral adjustment to be corrected relatively to the motion of the guns ship, is shown at Fig. 6. For the sake of simplicity the inclination of the sighting-line to the athwartships position of the gun is not measured by the indication of the said angle; but the gun-platform or the rear circular rail on which the gun-carriage turns is marked with angular divisions, (indicated by letters a b c d and figures 1 2 34,) and the pointing-gunner only requires in adjusting the sighting instrument to note which of these points the gun-carriage center-line is nearest to. If, for example, the enemys ship is to be fired at while the guns ship is moving at a speed of ten nautical miles, the gunner adjusts the gun approximately to the enemys ship in order to see which of the divisions Ct Z) 0 (Z I 2 3 4 the sighting-line corresponds to. For adjusting the sight the cylinder 0 is turned until the line 10 of the scale, Fig. 6, is level with the point of the index d. Then, assuming 1) to be the direction of the sighting-line, the screw b is turned until theindex d stands on the point Z) of line 10. If the enemys ship is also in motion, the corresponding correction is effected by means of the scale shown at Fig. 7 of cylinder 0 by shifting the slide ct. On this scale the speed of the enemys vessel is indicated in nautical miles, while the inclination of its direction of motion to the line of sighting is indicated in degrees. These data are estimated. For facilitating the estimation of the said angle the gun-carriage may be advantageously provided with a triangular plate the front edges of which form a certain angle, such as thirty degrees, with the axis of the gun. By comparing the edges of the plate with the direction of motion of the enemys ship the angle can be approximately estimated. The corrections of the lateral adjustment which are rendered necessary when the guns ship or the enemys ship is moving are, however, only dependent upon the range if the action of atmospheric resistance be neglected-that is to say, if it be assumed that the time of flight is directly proportional to the range. In reality, however, this condition of proportion does not exist. In order, therefore, to be able in correcting to allow for different distances, it is advantageous to provide on the scales 0 and c in place of the simple lines diverging from the zero-point,which are indicated on the diagram and which correspond to equal angles of inclination, either of the gun or of direction of motion of the enemys ship, for each angle several lines indicating by their color various distance-zones, the one or other of which is used for the adjustment of the slides, according to the firing range.

If the sighting instrument is intended for a coast-gun, the slide a and its cylindrical scale 0 can of course be dispensed with.

I claim An ordnance -sight, comprising a fixed bracket, a roller-scale carried thereon and graduated to correct for motion of the object of aim angular to the line of sight, a screwope'rated sliding bracket movable in said first bracket and adapted to move along said scale, a second roller-scale carried by said sliding bracket graduated to correct for the movement of the ordnance-piece relative to the object of aim, a second screw-operated sliding bracket sliding in the first-mentioned one and adapted to slide along the latter scale, a third scale carried by the second sliding bracket graduated to correct for deviation, and ascrew-operated ordnance-sight adapted to move along the last-mentioned scale,whereby a correction of the sightis obtained equal to the sum of the readings on all the scales, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim' the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LUDWIG MANINER RIT'JYER VON MARKIIOF,

Witnesses:

HENRY O. CARPENTER, CHAS. E. CARPENTER.

ITO 

